Her father’s ship was lonely at best. She grew up on the cold, metal boat, spent most of her childhood fishing with her father and brother. Usually they caught tiny fish from under the ice, but every once in a while, if they were lucky, they’d find something big. It was moments like that they kept fishing interesting.
Just that morning, Jona and her family had gotten back from a trip out to the icy waters. Over their three-day trip, they’d managed to catch a few dozen fish, and now her father and brother were off to the market to sell their catch. Jona had decided to stay behind, despite her father’s concern, and insisted she just wanted time to herself. Which wasn’t a lie, but it was more so that she couldn’t stand being around them at the moment. Sometimes she felt like she was going stir-crazy, and this was definitely one of those times.
After working out for a little while and taking a shower, Jona collapsed onto her bed. Her room was small, but so was the rest of her house. Space was limited in the Iceland Sector. She didn’t mind much, didn’t need much. Just a space to lie down and food was all she really wanted.
She thought bitterly about her father and brother. After her parent’s divorce things had changed for the worse. Exploring the icy waters wasn’t quite the same anymore with her mother. She missed her mother. She missed when they were a whole family. She missed exploring all the countries that lived in the crater, and she missed her best friend, Soushi.
They’d met one night while Jona was exploring China. Her cousin had insisted they go out to a bar, and somehow Jona ended up making friends with Soushi, a pilot who was a few years old than her. Soushi had been sitting with their fellow recruits, looking shy. As Soushi stood up to use the restroom, Jona happened to be walking by and they’d stumbled into each other, Jona’s drink spilling down her shirt. Soushi had felt so guilty they’d bought her a new drink, and then the conversation came naturally from there. They’d talked while Jona’s cousin had disappeared with some racers who’d shown up at the bar. It didn’t take long for Jona to realize that her and Soushi got along well. They didn’t have much in common, given that Soushi was a non-binary Japanese pilot and Jona was an ice-fisher from Iceland, but after exchanging stories about their families and their jobs, they realized they had more in common than they thought.
Sitting on her bed, Jona thought about Soushi. She gazed up at her ceiling, watching the light flicker slightly. She should give Soushi a call. They hadn’t spoken to each other in a little over a week.
She rolled over so she was on her stomach, and turned on her telecom. Contacting Soushi while they were in space could be difficult, but luckily the signal was strong that evening. It only took a few moments of waiting before Soushi picked up. Jona switched on her translator module and waved hello.
Soushi smiled, and waved back. “Hey,” they said. “I didn’t expect to hear from you today.” They shuffled down into a chair and checked their gray hair in the viewfinder. It looked puffy and cute as always.
“Is this a bad time?” Jona asked. She looked out her window to the sky above and tried to picture Soushi living in the space. She imagined living in space with them, but she didn’t think she’d like it much. Too cold.
Shaking their head, Soushi dismissed Jona’s concern. “No, no. Now is perfect. I just thought you’d still be on your fishing trip.”
“We just got back today.”
“How was it?” Soushi looked distracted.
“Not awful.”
Jona’s sarcastic tone caught their attention. “Wow, sounds like you had an amazing time.”
“Yeah, I’m just starting to get sick of the cold and the water. I nearly fell in again today.” Jona’s red turned red just thinking about the experience. She’d seen a large, dark shape in the water, and had leaned a little too far over the side of the boat, trying to get a better look at the creature, when she suddenly lost her balance. Luckily, her brother had been standing nearby and had grabbed her before she plunged headfirst into the icy water.
Soushi shook their head, worry in their eyes. “You need to be more careful.”
“I know.” Jona nodded, staring at her hands, lost in thought for a moment.
“What’s wrong? You seem upset.”
“I’m just tired.” Jona near she had purple circles under her eyes from the lack of sleep while she was away. The boat rocked so much the second day that she barely got any sleep at all that night.
“Is it your family?”
“Yeah.” She thought about the bickering she had to listen to while on their trip. It reminded her of the bickering her mom and dad used to have. “I mean, I love them so much, but right now I’m just getting antsy. It’s definitely because of the extended trip.”
“Well, it’s okay to take time for yourself.” Soushi smiled kindly.
“I know.” Jona could tell Soushi wanted to ask more about how she was feeling so she changed the subject. “So, tell me how your training is going.”
“It’s good! I love it so much, Jona. I feel so lucky. And the new suits we got look exactly like those ones that the racers wear. You know, the really stylish ones from India’s team last year? Just like that. They’re amazing.” Soushi’s face lit up when they talked about the program, and it made Jona’s heart feel warm.
“I’m happy for you, and those suits sound fantastic. I wish I had one.”
“Thanks… Oh!” Then a look passed across Soushi’s face as they ran off screen and came back a moment later, holding a small device. “Thank you for sending that Game Boy.” They held up the small gaming device, a huge grin across their face. “I’ve missed mine so much, and I can’t believe none of the other trainees have any. But anyway, it really helps to pass the time. I wish there was a way we could play together.”
The thought made Jona smile. She couldn’t wait to see her best friend in person again some day. “Yeah, maybe some day when you come back. I miss you.”
Soushi’s face softened. “I miss you too. Hey, stop frowning.”
“Sorry.” Jona turned away briefly, quickly wiping away the tears that had started forming. “I should let you go.”
“Okay,” Soushi replied hesitantly. “I probably should check on the crew.”
“Alright, Captain,” Jona said with a mock solute. “I’ll talk to you later.”
“Okay. Bye. Miss you.”
“Miss you too.”
Jona ended the call, and curled up into a ball. Long-distance friendships were truly the worst, especially when the only other people she had much contact with were her dad and brother. She couldn’t wait until she and Soushi could hang out in person again, but until then she’d have to settle for short video calls every few days.
Just that morning, Jona and her family had gotten back from a trip out to the icy waters. Over their three-day trip, they’d managed to catch a few dozen fish, and now her father and brother were off to the market to sell their catch. Jona had decided to stay behind, despite her father’s concern, and insisted she just wanted time to herself. Which wasn’t a lie, but it was more so that she couldn’t stand being around them at the moment. Sometimes she felt like she was going stir-crazy, and this was definitely one of those times.
After working out for a little while and taking a shower, Jona collapsed onto her bed. Her room was small, but so was the rest of her house. Space was limited in the Iceland Sector. She didn’t mind much, didn’t need much. Just a space to lie down and food was all she really wanted.
She thought bitterly about her father and brother. After her parent’s divorce things had changed for the worse. Exploring the icy waters wasn’t quite the same anymore with her mother. She missed her mother. She missed when they were a whole family. She missed exploring all the countries that lived in the crater, and she missed her best friend, Soushi.
They’d met one night while Jona was exploring China. Her cousin had insisted they go out to a bar, and somehow Jona ended up making friends with Soushi, a pilot who was a few years old than her. Soushi had been sitting with their fellow recruits, looking shy. As Soushi stood up to use the restroom, Jona happened to be walking by and they’d stumbled into each other, Jona’s drink spilling down her shirt. Soushi had felt so guilty they’d bought her a new drink, and then the conversation came naturally from there. They’d talked while Jona’s cousin had disappeared with some racers who’d shown up at the bar. It didn’t take long for Jona to realize that her and Soushi got along well. They didn’t have much in common, given that Soushi was a non-binary Japanese pilot and Jona was an ice-fisher from Iceland, but after exchanging stories about their families and their jobs, they realized they had more in common than they thought.
Sitting on her bed, Jona thought about Soushi. She gazed up at her ceiling, watching the light flicker slightly. She should give Soushi a call. They hadn’t spoken to each other in a little over a week.
She rolled over so she was on her stomach, and turned on her telecom. Contacting Soushi while they were in space could be difficult, but luckily the signal was strong that evening. It only took a few moments of waiting before Soushi picked up. Jona switched on her translator module and waved hello.
Soushi smiled, and waved back. “Hey,” they said. “I didn’t expect to hear from you today.” They shuffled down into a chair and checked their gray hair in the viewfinder. It looked puffy and cute as always.
“Is this a bad time?” Jona asked. She looked out her window to the sky above and tried to picture Soushi living in the space. She imagined living in space with them, but she didn’t think she’d like it much. Too cold.
Shaking their head, Soushi dismissed Jona’s concern. “No, no. Now is perfect. I just thought you’d still be on your fishing trip.”
“We just got back today.”
“How was it?” Soushi looked distracted.
“Not awful.”
Jona’s sarcastic tone caught their attention. “Wow, sounds like you had an amazing time.”
“Yeah, I’m just starting to get sick of the cold and the water. I nearly fell in again today.” Jona’s red turned red just thinking about the experience. She’d seen a large, dark shape in the water, and had leaned a little too far over the side of the boat, trying to get a better look at the creature, when she suddenly lost her balance. Luckily, her brother had been standing nearby and had grabbed her before she plunged headfirst into the icy water.
Soushi shook their head, worry in their eyes. “You need to be more careful.”
“I know.” Jona nodded, staring at her hands, lost in thought for a moment.
“What’s wrong? You seem upset.”
“I’m just tired.” Jona near she had purple circles under her eyes from the lack of sleep while she was away. The boat rocked so much the second day that she barely got any sleep at all that night.
“Is it your family?”
“Yeah.” She thought about the bickering she had to listen to while on their trip. It reminded her of the bickering her mom and dad used to have. “I mean, I love them so much, but right now I’m just getting antsy. It’s definitely because of the extended trip.”
“Well, it’s okay to take time for yourself.” Soushi smiled kindly.
“I know.” Jona could tell Soushi wanted to ask more about how she was feeling so she changed the subject. “So, tell me how your training is going.”
“It’s good! I love it so much, Jona. I feel so lucky. And the new suits we got look exactly like those ones that the racers wear. You know, the really stylish ones from India’s team last year? Just like that. They’re amazing.” Soushi’s face lit up when they talked about the program, and it made Jona’s heart feel warm.
“I’m happy for you, and those suits sound fantastic. I wish I had one.”
“Thanks… Oh!” Then a look passed across Soushi’s face as they ran off screen and came back a moment later, holding a small device. “Thank you for sending that Game Boy.” They held up the small gaming device, a huge grin across their face. “I’ve missed mine so much, and I can’t believe none of the other trainees have any. But anyway, it really helps to pass the time. I wish there was a way we could play together.”
The thought made Jona smile. She couldn’t wait to see her best friend in person again some day. “Yeah, maybe some day when you come back. I miss you.”
Soushi’s face softened. “I miss you too. Hey, stop frowning.”
“Sorry.” Jona turned away briefly, quickly wiping away the tears that had started forming. “I should let you go.”
“Okay,” Soushi replied hesitantly. “I probably should check on the crew.”
“Alright, Captain,” Jona said with a mock solute. “I’ll talk to you later.”
“Okay. Bye. Miss you.”
“Miss you too.”
Jona ended the call, and curled up into a ball. Long-distance friendships were truly the worst, especially when the only other people she had much contact with were her dad and brother. She couldn’t wait until she and Soushi could hang out in person again, but until then she’d have to settle for short video calls every few days.